Department for Transport

Department for Transport: Brexit

Mr Jacob Rees-Mogg: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of his Department's preparations for the UK leaving the EU with (a) an agreement on future partnership and (b) no agreement with the EU; and if he will make a statement.

Mr John Hayes: Following the referendum in June 2016, the Department for Transport continues to make rigorous preparations for a range of possible outcomes from the UK's negotiations with the EU.

Home Office

Cybercrime: Surveys

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 30 October 2017 to Question 109740, on Cybercrime: surveys, how much has been paid from the public purse to IPSOS Mori for running the National Crime Security Tracker survey.

Mr Ben  Wallace: IPSOS MORI has been paid £373,800 to run the National Cyber Security Tracker since 2015. IPSOS MORI were procured to provide this service through a competitive tender process administered by the Government’s Crown Commercial Service.

Passports

Michael Fabricant: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans she has to change the (a) design, (b) colour and (c) wording of the new UK passport after the UK leaves the EU; and if she will make a statement.

Brandon Lewis: I refer the hon. Friend to the answer given to the hon. Member for Romford, on 7th December 2016, UIN 55575.

Asylum: Employment

Laura Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make it her policy to ensure that all asylum seekers are guaranteed the right to work in the UK.

Brandon Lewis: Asylum seekers are not allowed to work in the UK unless their claim has been outstanding for at least 12 months through no fault of their own.The policy is designed to protect the resident labour market so that access to employment is prioritised for British citizens and lawful residents, including those granted refugee status. We have no plans to change this policy.

UK Border Force: Northern Ireland

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the number of additional UK Border Agency officials that will be needed in Northern Ireland as a result of the UK leaving the EU; and if she will make a statement.

Brandon Lewis: Additional staffing required by Border Force, across the UK, following exit from the European Union will depend on the final outcome of the negotiations. Government departments are working together across a range of complex issues to develop our future approach to the border and immigration system.The government recognises the unique case of the Northern Ireland – Ireland land border, and we have been clear about avoiding any physical infrastructure at the border. We have developed joint principles with the Commission to ensure the continuation of the Common Travel Area. Avoiding a ‘hard border’ between Ireland and Northern Ireland is one of the Government’s three strategic objectives that have informed development of the policy options outlined in the recently published Customs Bill White Paper.

Refugees: Children

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will ensure that all 280 remaining places allocated for unaccompanied child refugees under section 67 of the 2016 Immigration Act will be filled.

Brandon Lewis: We are fully committed to delivering our commitment to transfer the specified number of 480 children under section 67 of the Immigration Act 2016 and we are working very closely with Member States, as well as the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and NGO partners to ensure the correct processes are in place to identify and transfer children to the UK. All transfers must be in line with each individual Member State’s national laws.Children have been transferred from France under section 67 this year and we have received further referrals. More eligible children will be transferred from Europe under the scheme in due course.

Immigrants: Detainees

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the longest period is during which an EU national has been held in immigration detention in the UK in the last 12 months.

Brandon Lewis: Information on detention can be found at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/638608/detention-apr-jun-2017-tables.ods

Refugees: English Language

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make it her policy to provide asylum seekers and refugees with low levels of English a minimum of six months free English for Speakers of Other Languages provision from the time when they apply for asylum.

Brandon Lewis: Those granted refugee status by the Home Office and in receipt of certain work related benefits have access to fully funded English for Speakers of Other Languages courses. For those receiving other benefits and unemployed full funding for the course is available at the provider’s discretion, and for those not receiving benefits the government may provide 50% of the costs.Home Office policy is not to provide asylum seekers with publicly funded English for Speakers of Other Languages courses, although they may access courses on a fee paying basis, and providers may waive fees. Asylum claimants awaiting a decision for over six months may receive a 50% contribution to the costs.

Entry Clearances: Fees and Charges

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate the Government has made of how much it receives per year in fees from people applying to enter the country legally; and what that money is spent on.

Brandon Lewis: Details of the income that the Department has generated from border, immigration and citizenship services is provided in the Annual Report and Accounts, published on Gov.uk.https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/627853/ho_annual_report_and_accounts_2016_2017.pdf Page 117The Home Office sets visa, immigration and citizenship fees at a level that helps provide resources necessary to operate the Border, Immigration and Citizenship (BIC) system. The Home Office aims to reduce the overall level of funding that comes from general taxation by reducing costs and increasing the proportion which is funded by income generated from fees. The Home Office believes it is right that those who use and benefit directly from the BIC system make an appropriate contribution towards meeting the associated costs.The Immigration Act 2014 is the primary legislation which gives the Home Office statutory powers to set fees. The relevant sections of the Act relating to fees are 68 to 70 which can be found on pages 58 to 61 of the following link:http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2014/22/pdfs/ukpga_20140022_en.pdf

Skilled Workers: Visas

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential costs and benefits for (a) her Department and (b) the tech sector of high tech visas.

Brandon Lewis: The Tech Nation Visa within the Tier 1 (Exceptional Talent) route, re-launched by Tech City UK in October 2015, is an important part of our offer for attracting digital talent, and is working well. The route allows leading digital technology talent endorsed by Tech City UK to enter the UK without needing a job offer from a sponsoring employer.The Tech Nation Visa forms only a part of our comprehensive offer for migrants and businesses in the tech sector. In the year ending June 2017, around 30,000 skilled non-EEA workers were sponsored under Tier 2, our main immigration work route, to work in the UK in the Information and Communication industry, more than twice the number in any other industry. A number of digital technology jobs are included on our Shortage Occupation List.We also have dedicated routes for entrepreneurs and graduate entrepreneurs wishing to establish a tech sector business in the UK, and an excellent offer for international students wishing to take up a job in the tech sector after their studies.

Counter-terrorism

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has made a recent assessment of the adequacy of police spending on counter-terrorism.

Mr Ben  Wallace: The Government’s top priority is the safety and security of the public. The 2015 Spending Review settlement protected counter-terrorism policing spend until 2020-21 and included a significant capital increase to deliver growth of key counter-terrorist policing capabilities.The Government is in regular dialogue with the police to ensure that the right powers, capabilities and resources are in place across all areas of policing.In recognition of the pressures on policing following this year’s terrorist attacks, the Home Secretary has announced a further £24 million for counter-terrorism policing. Work is currently under way to review the UK’s counter-terrorism strategy, CONTEST,including drawing on the lessons learned from the attacks in London and Manchester.We remain committed to increasing cross-government spending on counter-terrorism by 30%, from £11.7 billion to £15.1 billion.

Immigration: EEA Nationals

Mr Jacob Rees-Mogg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of how many EU-EEA citizens currently resident in the UK do not benefit from EU treaty rights or any other rights to residency.

Brandon Lewis: No estimate has been made of the number of EU citizens already resident in the UK who do not benefit from EU treaty rights or any other rights to residency.

Migrant Workers: EEA Nationals

Mr Jacob Rees-Mogg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of her Department's ability to instate a registration scheme for EU-EEA citizens wishing to come to work in the UK after March 2019.

Mr Jacob Rees-Mogg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the earliest date on which her Department would have the capacity to include EU-EEA nationals who wish to work in the UK within a visa and work permit system.

Brandon Lewis: We are considering the options for our future immigration very carefully and will outline our proposals in due course.The Prime Minister was clear in her speech on 22 September of the need for an implementation period to ensure that people and businesses – both in the UK and in the EU – have time to adjust to the new arrangements in a smooth and orderly way. During the implementation period, people will continue to be able to come and live and work in the UK; but there will be a registration system – an essential preparation for the new regime.

Immigrants: Detainees

Kate Osamor: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans she has to ensure that survivors of sexual violence are not detained in immigration detention centres.

Brandon Lewis: Home Office immigration policy operates with a presumption against detention. When people are detained, it is for the minimum time possible, and their dignity and welfare is of the utmost importance.As part of its response to Stephen Shaw’s review of the welfare of vulnerable persons in immigration detention, the Government introduced the adults at risk in immigration detention policy, which came into force on 12 September 2016. The policy introduced a case-by-case evidence-based assessment of the appropriateness of detention for any individual who is considered vulnerable, balanced against the immigration control considerations that apply in their case. Having been a victim of sexual or gender based violence (including female genital mutilation) is expressly included as an indicator of risk for the purposes of the policy.This means that any such victim will be detained only when the immigration control considerations that apply in their case outweigh the risk factors. The policy is supported by the cross-cutting gatekeeper, which assesses vulnerability and provides challenge to decisions about who enters immigration detention, and scrutinises prospects and speed of removal.

Home Office: Brexit

Mr Jacob Rees-Mogg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of her Department's preparations for the UK leaving the EU with (a) an agreement on future partnership and (b) no agreement with the EU; and if she will make a statement.

Brandon Lewis: Following the referendum in June 2016, the Home Office continues to make rigorous preparations for a range of possible outcomes from the UK's negotiations with the EU, as set out in the Home Secretary’s evidence to the Home Affairs Select Committee on 17 October. http://data.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/committeeevidence.svc/evidencedocument/home-affairs-committee/the-work-of-the-home-secretary/oral/71645.html).

Asylum

Jim McMahon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many asylum seeker placements each local authority has had in each year since 2010.

Brandon Lewis: The Home Office publishes quarterly figures on the number of asylum seekers housed in dispersed accommodation, including under Section 95, by local authority in the Immigration Statistics release, in table as_16q and 17q in volume 4 of the Asylum data tables. These are available at:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/immigration-statistics-quarterly-release

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Energy: Meters

Stephen Kerr: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many domestic energy customers with SMETS1 smart meters have switched energy suppliers since the roll-out programme began.

Richard Harrington: We are unable to provide statistics on how many consumers with SMETS1 meters have switched energy suppliers since the programme began. According to Ofgem’s report, ‘Consumer engagement in the energy market 2017’, 23% of consumers who say they have a smart meter have switched supplier in the past 12 months, compared to 17% of those who say they do not have a smart meter.

Energy: Meters

Stephen Kerr: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many SMETS1 smart meters have been fitted in domestic premises in each nation and region of the UK since the start of the smart meter roll-out.

Richard Harrington: We are unable to provide statistics on smart meter installations broken down by region and nation. Collectively across both large and small suppliers, around 7.36 million smart meters (SMETS1) have been installed in domestic properties in Great Britain to the end of June 2017. It should be noted that large supplier statistics are collected at the end of each calendar quarter and small supplier statistics are collected annually, at the end of the calendar year. Therefore installations carried out by small suppliers since 31 December 2016 are not reflected in the above figure. The rollout is also across Great Britain only.

Manufacturing Technologies Association

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions he has had with the Manufacturing Technologies Association on plans to relocate jobs to Europe after the UK leaves the EU.

Claire Perry: There have been regular discussions with the Manufacturing Technology Association (MTA) on a range of issues of importance to the sector, including the implications of EU exit for MTA member companies. As we continue to engage with MTA and industry more widely, we remain committed to making the UK the best place in Europe to own and grow a business. That includes supporting those businesses that trade with the EU and wider international markets, as well as continuing to encourage record foreign direct investment that supports business and communities up and down the country.

Industry

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the importance of the food and farming sector in the new industrial strategy.

Claire Perry: Food and drink is the UK’s largest manufacturing sector employing 400,000 people. The UK food and drink supply chain (including farmers, manufacturers, wholesalers, retailers, catering, and restaurants) contributed £108 billion to the UK economy in 2014, and employed 1 in 8 workers. As a geographically diverse sector, the success of the industry is crucial to driving growth across the country, a key objective of Industrial Strategy. As part of the Industrial Strategy, Government is supporting all sectors across the economy to grow, invest and reach their potential. Our new approach also challenges individual sectors to upgrade through “Sector Deals” - an open challenge to industry to come to us with proposals to transform their sector. We are prepared to work with any sector which can organise behind strong leadership to address shared challenges and opportunities.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: ICT

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether his Department holds a central list of the IT and digital assets of its arm's-length bodies.

Margot James: The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy does not hold a central list of the IT and digital assets of its arm’s-length bodies.

Fracking

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what representations he has received from the general public expressing concerns on fracking for shale gas.

Richard Harrington: The Department receives many letters from the general public regarding a wide range of issues. The Government continues to work closely with regulators and with the shale industry to ensure that any concerns the general public may be experiencing are appropriately addressed.

Government Assistance: Small Businesses

Jo Platt: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what plans he has to support small businesses after the UK leaves the EU.

Margot James: We are working hard to support businesses and entrepreneurs across the UK to ensure they can access the wider support to grow and have the right conditions for companies to invest long-term. That’s why we are proposing a bold and ambitious free trade agreement as part of a new, deep and special partnership with the European Union.In order to allow business time to adjust, we are also proposing a strictly time-limited implementation period where we continue to have access to one another’s markets on current terms.

Intellectual Property

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the value to UK businesses of a legal framework to protect and enforce their intellectual property rights throughout the world.

Joseph Johnson: The Government fully recognises the importance to business and to the UK economy of being able to protect and enforce intellectual property rights (IPRs), nationally and internationally. A report by the EU IPO, Intellectual property rights intensive industries and economic performance in the European Union, estimated that the value of IP intensive industries to the UK economy was £5,664,168 million or 42.3% of Gross Value Added (GVA) between 2011 and 2013. In addition the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) commissioned the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) to develop a methodology and to deliver a benchmark on the levels and impact of counterfeiting to the UK. This study Trade in Counterfeit Products and the UK Economy was published on 4 September 2017.

Fracking

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 30 October 2017 to Question 109370, on fracking, and with reference to his Department's hydraulic fracturing consent guidance, published in February 2017, whether licensees seeking hydraulic fracturing consent (HFC) will be required to provide details in environmental permit applications of proposed plans to undertake 12 months' monitoring of the level of methane in groundwater in relation to (a) the current application for HFC for Ryedale, North Yorkshire and (b) all future such applications.

Richard Harrington: Holding answer received on 07 November 2017



 Under section 4A of the Petroleum Act 1998, all licensees are required to provide details of proposed plans to undertake 12 months' monitoring of the level of methane in groundwater, in line with the guidance[1] issued by the Department in February 2017.   [1] https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/591631/Hydraulic_Fracturing_Consent_Guidance.pdf

Art Works: Royalties

Ben Lake: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the artist's resale right will continue to apply to artists and their heirs after the UK leaves the EU.

Joseph Johnson: The UK artist’s resale right stems from the implementation of Directive 2001/84/EC on the resale right for the benefit of the author of an original work of art. The European Union (Withdrawal) Bill has powers to transpose directly-applicable EU law into UK law on exit, including the EU Directive on artist’s resale rights.

Department for Exiting the European Union

EU Internal Trade: Customs

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what discussions he has had with his counterparts in the EU on customs arrangements for movement of goods within Europe after the UK leaves the EU.

Mr Robin Walker: The Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union regularly meets with counterparts in the EU to discuss a range of matters relating to the UK's Exit from the EU.The Government set out its position in relation to future customs arrangements with the EU in a Future Relationship Paper in August.

EU Law

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what assessment he has made of the importance of regulatory alignment to the EU after the UK leaves the EU.

Mr Robin Walker: In our negotiations with the EU, the UK will seek to secure a new, deep and special partnership. We propose the greatest possible tariff- and barrier-free trade with our European neighbours based on our rules and regulations being the same at the start, and on maintaining our commitment to free trade and high standards. But there will be areas that affect our economic relations where we and our European friends may have different goals; or where we share the same goals but want to achieve them through different means. This is where we recognise that the single market is built on a balance of rights and obligations, and so our task is to find a new framework that allows for a close economic partnership but holds those rights and obligations in a new and different balance.

Business: Transitional Arrangements

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what assessment he has made of the benefit to businesses and the economy of a transition period of three years or longer as called for by the British Chambers of Commerce.

Mr Steve Baker: The Government is undertaking analysis of different scenarios, but will not publish any information that could undermine our negotiation position. We will need to build a bridge from our exit to our future partnership, to allow business and people time to adjust, and to allow new systems to be put in place. It makes sense for there to be only one set of changes. That is why we are proposing a strictly time-limited implementation period, based on the existing structure of EU rules and regulations, during which the UK and the EU would continue to have access to one another’s markets on current terms, and the UK would take part in existing security measures. The length of the period should be determined by how long it will take to prepare and implement the new processes and new systems – as the Prime Minister has said, this is likely to be for a period of around two years and it should be agreed as early as possible, so as to provide certainty.

Department for Exiting the European Union: ICT

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, whether his Department holds a central list of the IT and digital assets of its arm's-length bodies.

Mr Robin Walker: The Department for Exiting the European Union does not have any arm’s-length bodies.

Trade Agreements

Jo Platt: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect on not reaching a deal with the EU on exiting the EU on the UK economy.

Mr Steve Baker: We are confident that a future partnership between the UK and EU is in the interests of both sides, so we approach these negotiations anticipating success. We do not want or expect a no deal outcome.However, a responsible government should prepare for all potential outcomes, including the unlikely scenario in which no mutually satisfactory agreement can be reached. The government is therefore undertaking a comprehensive programme of analytical work across a range of scenarios.However, we have been very clear that we must not publish material that could undermine the UK position in the negotiations.

EU External Relations

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what steps he is taking to provide UK businesses with certainty about the UK's future relations with the EU.

Mr Steve Baker: We understand that businesses want as much certainty about the future relationship between the UK and EU as soon as possible, and we are engaging with companies across the economy to provide them with the information they need to understand the challenges and opportunities they may face in the coming months and years.The Prime Minister emphasised this commitment in her Florence speech, where she acknowledged the value of certainty for business and proposed a time-limited period of implementation on current terms. This will give businesses time to adjust, as well as allowing for new systems to be put in place. Our desire is to agree arrangements for this period as soon as possible.

Department for Exiting the European Union: Telephone Services

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, how many and what proportion of his Department's public phone-lines charge members of the public to call.

Mr Steve Baker: The Department for Exiting the European Union does not have any public phone-lines which charge members of the public to call.

Department for International Development

Gaza: Reconstruction

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the Gaza Reconstruction Mechanism and the effect of the Israeli Government's dual-use list on reconstruction.

Alistair Burt: The Gaza Reconstruction Mechanism (GRM) has been successful in importing construction materials to facilitate the reconstruction of buildings damaged during the 2014 conflict. Over 170,000 people have been able to carry out repairs and over 14,000 fully or partially damaged homes have been rebuilt. UN reports assess that the GRM has been less successful in facilitating the import of other “dual-use” materials; and that it is critical that the import of more “dual-use” items is simplified and expedited in order to facilitate larger infrastructure projects. A more comprehensive lifting of restrictions on materials entering Gaza, as part of a political agreement, is the only long-term solution.

Department for International Development: Brexit

Mr Jacob Rees-Mogg: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of her Department's preparations for the UK leaving the EU with (a) an agreement on future partnership and (b) no agreement with the EU; and if she will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: Following the referendum in June 2016, the Department for International Development continues to make rigorous preparations for a range of possible outcomes from the UK's negotiations with the EU.

Department for Education

Pupils: Health

Angela Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will amend the statutory guidance entitled Supporting pupils with medical conditions at school to include a requirement for all schools to publish their medical conditions policies.

Mr Robert Goodwill: We know how important it is that children with medical conditions are supported to enjoy a full education. That is why we introduced the duty, under section 100 of the Children and Families Act 2014, to require governing bodies to make arrangements to support pupils with medical conditions and have provided statutory guidance outlining schools’ responsibilities in this area. We keep this statutory guidance under review. We will continue to ensure that it clearly sets out the arrangements that governing boards should be making to support pupils with medical conditions, based on best practice. All governing boards should ensure that the school's policy for supporting pupils with medical conditions is reviewed regularly and is readily accessible to parents and school staff.

Special Educational Needs: Gloucestershire

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many children with an (a) Education, Health and Care plan, (b) Statement of SEN or (c) Learning Difficulties Assessment received a permanent or fixed exclusion within Gloucestershire in each of the last five years.

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the average rate of exclusion for children with autism as their primary need was in (a) Gloucestershire and (b) the UK in each of the last five years.

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many children in Gloucestershire with autism as their primary need received a permanent or fixed period exclusion in each of the last five years.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The attached tables provides information as requested on the number of pupils receiving permanent and fixed period exclusions by special educational needs provision in schools in Gloucestershire local authority and the number and rate of exclusions for pupils with autism as their primary need in Gloucestershire local authority and England.Exclusions of pupils with Learning Difficulties Assessments and for schools outside of England are not collected by the department.



110785, 110786, 110787
(Excel SpreadSheet, 32.83 KB)

Department for Education: ICT

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department holds a central list of the IT and digital assets of its arm's-length bodies.

Mr Robert Goodwill: We understand the term arm’s-length body (ALB) to include non-departmental public bodies, executive agencies and non-ministerial departments. We understand IT assets to mean physical assets such as laptops and mobile phones and digital assets to mean non-physical, digitally held information assets owned by the ALBs. The Department for Education (DfE) holds a central list of the IT assets of our executive agencies – Education and Skills Funding Agency, National College for Teaching and Leadership, Standards and Testing Agency – and some of our other ALBs – Institute for Apprenticeships, Office of the Children’s Commissioner, Government Equalities Office, Office of the Schools Adjudicator and the Social Mobility Commission. This list only contains assets supplied to the ALB by the DfE; there may be additional assets held by the ALB that the DfE does not hold information on. The DfE does not hold a central list of the IT assets of any other ALBs. This is because the DfE does not supply assets to these bodies and does not manage assets on their behalf.The DfE’s Information Asset Register, which includes information on digital assets, includes assets of our executive agencies only.

Children: Day Care

Mr Ranil Jayawardena: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what progress her Department is making on the provision of and parental choice on 30 hours of childcare to working parents in Hampshire.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The department is committed to ensuring all parents who are eligible for the 30 hours free childcare entitlement are able to take up a place that suits their childcare needs. That is why we ran a £100 million early years capital bid round, for which local authorities, in partnership with providers, were invited to submit bids. Over 350 projects across 123 local authorities were successful in this bid round – six of which were located in Hampshire. Local authorities have a duty to secure childcare provision free of charge to qualifying children. They are, therefore, best placed to ensure parents in their area have a sufficient choice of childcare. As of 31 August, over 216,000 codes were issued for the autumn term, with 90% being validated as of 9 October.

Apprentices: Special Educational Needs

Jared O'Mara: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of apprenticeship starts have been taken up by learners with learning difficulties and disabilities and special education needs and disability in 2016-17.

Jared O'Mara: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the percentage change was in the number of traineeship starts in 2016-17 from that number in each of the previous three years.

Anne Milton: The table below provides provisional figures for the 2016/17 academic year on the number of apprenticeship starts for learners with and without a learning difficulty and disability.  2016/17 Full Year (Provisional)Percentage DistributionLearning Difficulty/Disability50,47010.3%No Learning Difficulty/Disability434,05088.3%Not Known6,8201.4%Total491,300100.0%Note: Total figures are rounded to the nearest hundred. Apprenticeship data is collected via the Individualised Learner Record (ILR). The ILR does not hold information on statements of special educational need for apprenticeship learners, this is only collected for school pupils via the school census. Information on Learners with Learning Difficulties and/or Disabilities is self-declared by the learner and covers a wider range of both learning difficulties and disabilities. For further information on apprenticeship starts by demographic breakdowns, please refer to the demographic data tool via:https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/650223/201617_Oct_Apps_Demographic_Data_Tool_FINAL.xlsx The table attached provides provisional traineeship starts figures for the 2016/17 academic year along with the percentage changes in comparison to finalised figures from each of the three previous years. Comparisons to previous academic years should be made with caution as the provisional figures are subject to change. Final 2016/17 academic year figures will be published on 23 November 2017.For further information on traineeship starts by academic year, please refer to the October SFR main tables via:https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/650552/SFR_53_2017_main_tables.ods  



Provisional traineeship starts
(PDF Document, 6.82 KB)

Apprentices: Females

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many apprenticeships have been taken up by women born in the 1950s after they reached the age of 60.

Anne Milton: There have been 8,300 apprenticeship starts since the 2010/11 academic year by women aged over 60 and born in the 1950s. Please note data is based on administrative returns for academic years 2010/11 to 2016/17 and the data for 2016/17 is based on a provisional year number. This figure is rounded to the nearest hundred. For further information, data on apprenticeship starts by age band and gender are available in the apprenticeship demographic tool:https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/624584/apprenticeships-demographics-data-tool-starts-v1.xlsx.

Ministry of Justice

Cammell Laird: Strikes

Ms Angela Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the oral contribution of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Youth Justice of 25 April 2017, Official Report, column 993, on Cammell Laird, what steps he has taken following that contribution to look at that case further.

Dr Phillip Lee: Having looked at the case I am unconvinced this is a matter for the Ministry of Justice. However, I made an undertaking to consider the case further and I will do so. I would be grateful if The hon. Member would write to me setting out the issues she wishes to raise and I would like to offer her a meeting with my officials to discuss her concerns.

Gender Recognition Certificates

David T. C. Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people have applied for a gender recognition certificate in each of the last three years for which figures are available; and how many of the applications have been (a) accepted and (b) refused.

Dr Phillip Lee: Statistics for applications for Gender Recognition Certificates (GRC) are updated and published on GOV.UK (at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/tribunals-statistics) on a quarterly basis. The table below sets out various statistics for the last three years, including how many applications have been accepted (under the columns “Full GRC granted” and “Interim GRC granted”) and how many applications have been refused. Guidance on these statistics is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/tribunals-and-gender-recognition-certificate-statistics-quarterly-april-to-june-2017-and-2016-to-2017 Financial yearTotal ReceiptsTotal DisposalsDisposal outcomesFull GRC grantedInterim GRC grantedRefusedApplication withdrawnNo Fee paidError2014/15 343  284 2449811842015/16 374  376 3323237742016/17 364  351 318815244

Gender Recognition Certificates

David T. C. Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many gender recognition certificates have been granted to transgender women who posses male genitalia.

David T. C. Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether it is necessary for a transgender women to have female genitalia in order to receive a gender recognition certificate.

Dr Phillip Lee: The Gender Recognition Act 2004 (the Act) sets out a number of requirements for applicants when applying for a Gender Recognition Certificate (GRC). These include that applicants must provide two medical reports, at least one of which must be from a registered medical professional working in the field of gender dysphoria. At least one of the reports must also set out details of a diagnosis of gender dysphoria, and any surgery and treatment that has been undertaken, or is planned, for the purpose of modifying sexual characteristics. Many people who are transitioning will undergo some form of this kind of surgery and medical treatment. Some applicants are unable to undergo surgery for other medical reasons. However, there is no requirement under the Act for an applicant to have undergone gender reassignment surgery in order to obtain a GRC. Each application under the Act is dealt with on a case by case basis, and no data is held on the genitalia of the applicants.

Administration of Justice

Afzal Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what plans his Department has to record the religious identity of people subject to the courts system and the Crown Prosecution Service.

Dr Phillip Lee: Work is underway to improve the quality of data across the Criminal Justice System. Currently some data is collected by the CPS on an individual’s religion in relation to specific crimes, such as hate crime. Data on religious identity is not collected by HM Courts and Tribunal Service. At the launch of the Race Disparity Audit on 10th October 2017, the Ministry of Justice made a commitment to improve the quality and quantity of datasets made available to the public. Widening data collection by the Courts and the CPS in relation to religion was part of the first recommendation made by the Lammy Review and is now being considered. The Government’s full response to the Lammy Review will be published in due course.

Ministry of Justice: ICT

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether his Department holds a central list of the IT and digital assets of its arm's-length bodies.

Dr Phillip Lee: The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has 32 agencies and public bodies, most of which have sole control of their own digital and IT assets. For that reason, the MoJ does not currently hold a central list of IT and digital assets of its arm’s-length bodies.

Ministry of Defence

Army: Digital Technology

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the current estimated budget for project JANUS is.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: Project Janus is focused on business process and digital transformation within the Army. The current estimated budget for the programme from August 2017 to March 2019 is around £3 million.

Navy

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the value of the Royal Navy's maritime support in-year budget was for each of the last 10 years.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: Under the revised delegated operating model, the information is not held for the period requested. I will write to the hon. Member once records have been scrutinised.

Navy

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the shortfall was in trained and qualified staff within Defence Equipment and Support navy supply teams in each of the last five years.

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 29, of the National Audit Office report, Investigation into equipment cannibalisation in the Royal Navy, published on 1 November 2017, what steps his Department has taken to improve Defence Equipment and Support and Royal Navy Inventory manager skills.

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 30, of the National Audit Office report, Investigation into equipment cannibalisation in the Royal Navy, published on 1 November 2017, for what reasons there are 42 per cent fewer qualified inventory management staff in post in the Submarine Delivery Agency than planned.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: To improve the skills of staff at all levels working in the inventory management function, both Defence Equipment and Support and the Royal Navy have introduced mandatory training, leading to the award of a licence to operate. The shortfall in specialist logistics and commercial roles reported by the National Audit Office is due to the need to qualify individuals currently in post, together with the number of vacant posts. The Submarine Delivery Agency has been addressing these issues and recruitment activity has now led to 97% of posts being filled. Of those, 70% of individuals are already fully licensed to operate as an inventory manager. For the Royal Navy, the most recent assessment is that 88% of staff undertaking inventory management roles are trained and qualified. Information on the shortfall in trained and qualified inventory management staff in Defence Equipment and Support navy supply teams has only been held centrally for the last four years and is shown below:  YearNumber of StaffShortfall of Trained and Qualified Staff201316342201417258201517141201616420

Navy

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many (a) permanent and (b) contracted staff there were within (i) Defence Equipment and Support Ships Operating Centre and (ii) Defence Equipment and Support Submarine Operating Centre.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: The information requested is provided below and is accurate as of 11 October 2017. Defence Equipment and Support Ships Operating CentrePermanent Staff1Contracted Staff21,43147 Defence Equipment and Support Submarine Operating CentrePermanent Staff1Contracted Staff21,2927 1 Civilian Full Time Equivalents and military staff.2 Contracted staff has been interpreted as meaning “manpower substitution” and defined as being those “generally engaged on a temporary basis to fill vacant, funded posts until recruitment action is taken to appoint a salaried permanent member of staff”.

Ministry of Defence: Procurement

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what proportion of his Department's spend in the last year has been with Government strategic suppliers.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: In financial year 2016-17, Ministry of Defence total expenditure with Government strategic suppliers was £7.8 billion. This amounts to 32.4% of the Department's overall spend on goods and services.

Department for Work and Pensions

National Insurance: EEA Nationals

Mr Jacob Rees-Mogg: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many national insurance numbers issued to EU-EEA citizens are currently active.

Caroline Dinenage: The information requested is not available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost

Department for Work and Pensions: Telephone Services

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of his Department's public phone-lines charge members of the public to call.

Caroline Dinenage: Charges to the Department for Work and Pensions are not set by the Department but are applied by service providers and are dependent upon individual’s telephone contract. The Department for Work and Pensions does not have access to individual customer telephone call data that would establish if a call attracted a charge.

Employment and Support Allowance

Christian Matheson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many recipients of employment support allowance have moved into work since changes were made to the level of that benefit in April 2017.

Penny Mordaunt: The information is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost. The latest information to February 2017 on the number of Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) claimants by phase of claim is published and available at: https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/ Guidance for users is available at: https://sw.stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started.html

Department for Work and Pensions: Brexit

Mr Jacob Rees-Mogg: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of his Department's preparations for the UK leaving the EU with (a) an agreement on future partnership and (b) no agreement with the EU; and if he will make a statement.

Damian Hinds: The Department for Work and Pensions is undertaking planning for all EU exit scenarios, as is prudent for such a significant issue, including working closely with the Department for Exiting the European Union to ensure consistency of plans across government.

EU Grants and Loans: Keighley

John Grogan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, by what date he expects a decision to be made on the community-led local development aid for Keighley CCLD.

Damian Hinds: The application for Keighley Community Led Local Development project is in the final stages of appraisal and a decision is expected by the end of November.

Department for Work and Pensions: Length of Service

Christian Matheson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average length of service is in his Department by its 10 most highly paid officials.

Caroline Dinenage: The average length of service of the 10 most highly paid officials in the Department is 16.9 years. In calculating the average length of service we have used each individual’s date of entry to the civil service and therefore the calculation may include periods of service with other Government Departments.

Bakeries: Industrial Health and Safety

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions he has had with the Health and Safety Executive on the recommendations of the Workplace Health Expert Committee report on the risks of bakery work published in March 2017.

Penny Mordaunt: Whilst I have regular meetings with senior officials from HSE, there have been no specific discussions about the findings in the Workplace Health Expert Committee (WHEC) report: Risks of bakery work: the adverse effects of working in high temperatures and of occupational asthma. HSE receives an annual report from WHEC which includes any reports the committee has published. HSE, via its Chief Scientific Adviser, is due to provide a formal response to the next report in Spring 2018.

Personal Independence Payment: Forms

Afzal Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans the Government has to review the PIP2 form and the requirement that it be returned to his Department within four weeks.

Penny Mordaunt: Where a claimant finds it difficult to complete the “How your disability affects you” form within the 4-week period, they are advised to contact the Department who will automatically provide an additional two weeks when needed. Where a claimant still has difficulty, they will be granted further time where it is considered reasonable to do so. Recent research carried out by Ipsos MORI indicated that 85% of claimants were able to complete all sections of the PIP2 questionnaire and only 4% were unable to do so. This has been the subject of a government publicationhttps://www.gov.uk/government/publications/personal-independence-payment-evaluation-wave-1-claimant-survey-findings

Personal Independence Payment

Afzal Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what disability-specific training personal independence payment assessors receive to enable them to adapt their communication and assessment methods so that claimants can better understand and take part in their assessment.

Penny Mordaunt: The Department has set clear requirements on the professions, skills, experience and training of the Healthcare Professionals that the providers should use to carry out assessments. Healthcare Professionals are medically qualified professionals who have previous clinical experience of communicating with individuals who have varied conditions. All Healthcare Professionals receive comprehensive training in disability analysis which includes communication skills and understanding the communication needs of those with specific disabilities. This training builds on prior clinical knowledge to develop an understanding as to how conditions affect claimants in their day-to-day activities.

Personal Independence Payment: Greater Manchester

Afzal Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what venues were used for assessments for personal independence payments in Manchester in the last 12 months; and what assessment his Department made of the accessibility of those venues before choosing them.

Penny Mordaunt: Independent Assessment Services undertake PIP consultations in Manchester at the following venues: Unit 1 & 2, Deva City Office Park, Trinity Way, Salford, Manchester, M3 7BB. The Lilac Centre, Manchester General Hospital, Delaunays Road, Crumpsall, Manchester, M8 5RB DWP has set clear requirements in terms of geography/travel, security and claimant experience in relation to the sites used for PIP consultations. All Assessment Centres are compliant with the Equality Act 2010. If a claimant is unable to travel to, or access an Assessment Centre as a result of their health condition or impairment, a home visit may be offered.

Personal Independence Payment: Manchester Gorton

Afzal Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people in Manchester Gorton constituency have been denied a home assessment for their personal independence payment claim; and what reasons were given for those decisions.

Penny Mordaunt: The information requested is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Personal Independence Payment

Afzal Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to his Department's Personal Independence Payment Assessment Guide, paragraph 1.5.4, what recent assessment he has made of compliance with the guidance on cases that should not require a face-to-face consultation by assessors; and what estimate he has made of the number of claimants who were invited to attend unnecessary face-to-face assessments in the most recent 12-month period for which figures are available.

Penny Mordaunt: Decisions on whether an assessment can be undertaken based on the paper evidence alone, or via a face-to-face consultation, are made by a Healthcare Professional on a case by case basis and are not dependent on a claimant’s condition, except for those people who are applying under the terminally ill provisions. Most people will be required to attend a face-to-face consultation except where Healthcare Professionals consider that there is sufficient existing information to carry out an assessment based on the paper evidence, or where there is strong evidence to indicate that a face-to-face consultation is likely to be stressful for the claimant.

Personal Independence Payment

Afzal Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans the Government has to review its policy on exemptions from reassessment for personal independence payments claimants.

Penny Mordaunt: I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave on 25 July 2017 to Question UIN 5325.

Personal Independence Payment

Afzal Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what guidance his Department has published to raise awareness of requesting a home assessment for personal independence payments applicants.

Penny Mordaunt: Consultations may potentially be carried out in a variety of locations and some will need to be carried out at a claimant’s home. Information relating to when a home consultation should be considered can be found in the PIP Assessment Guide which is publically available on gov.uk https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/personal-independence-payment-assessment-guide-for-assessment-providers

Personal Independence Payment

Afzal Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans the Government has to review the personal independence payments claims process.

Penny Mordaunt: We constantly look to review and improve the experience of people claiming Personal Independence Payment (PIP). We are currently considering the recommendations made in the second independent review of Personal Independence Payment (published on 30 March 2017) which included recommendations to improve our communications for claimants. We plan to respond to the review’s findings later this year.

Department for Communities and Local Government

Department for Communities and Local Government: Travel

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, which tickets relating to which journeys set out in the transparency release, entitled DCLG ministerial travel, April to June 2017, published on 13 October 2017, were (a) first, (b) business, (c) economy and (d) any other class.

Mr Marcus Jones: Tickets to Finland Between 5-7 April 2017 were Business Class. There were no other Ministerial journeys in this period.

Private Rented Housing: Energy

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 9 October 2017 to Question 105187, what information his Department holds on the number of private sector landlords who are complying with energy efficiency regulations on energy performance certificates.

Alok Sharma: The Department does not hold the information requested. Requirements on landlords to ensure their properties reach at least an Energy Performance Certificate rating of E before granting a new tenancy to new or existing tenants do not come into force until April 2018. The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy published an Impact Assessment on the impact of these proposals, which can be found here:https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/401382/150202_PRS_Final_Stage_Revised_For_Publication.pdf

Disability: Building Regulations

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, when the Government plans to respond to the ninth report of the Women and Equalities Committee's report, Building for Equality: Disability and the Built Environment of Session 2016-17, HC 631, published on 25 April 2017.

Alok Sharma: The Government is planning to publish its response to the Women and Equalities Committee report on Building for Equality: Disability and the Built Environment, shortly.

Energy Performance Certificates

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the trends in the level of compliance with Article 13 of the energy performance of buildings directive.

Alok Sharma: Data on Energy Performance Certificates required under Article 13 of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive to be displayed for buildings occupied by public authorities can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-energy-performance-of-buildings-certificates (Table DEC1). Energy Performance Certificate data for non-domestic buildings over 500m2 can be found at: https://epc.opendatacommunities.org/. However, the Government does not routinely hold or collect data to identify buildings that are frequently visited by the public.Compliance with Energy Performance Certificate requirements is checked by trading standards' bodies. My Department has sought information on the number of enforcement notices issued by trading standards' bodies and will provide advice in due course.

Electrical Safety: Departmental Responsibilities

Wera Hobhouse: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether the responsibility for responding to the recommendations of his Department's Electrical Safety Working Group has been transferred to the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.

Alok Sharma: An enabling power was included in the Housing and Planning Act 2016 allowing requirements for electrical safety standards in the private rented sector (PRS), and their enforcement, to be set through secondary legislation (affirmative) at a later date. Following Royal Assent, a Working Group of relevant experts was established to provide recommendations to ministers on what, if any, legislative requirements should be introduced. The Working Group’s report has been published online at:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/electrical-safety-standards-in-the-private-rented-sector-working-group-reportWe will engage further with the sector to test the recommendations of the Working Group to ensure that any regulation introduced is balanced and works for landlords and tenants.There are no plans to transfer responsibility for this policy area.

Social Services: Children

Jim McMahon: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what information his Department holds on the amount spent on children's social care by local authorities in each year from 2010.

Jim McMahon: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much was spent on adult social care by each local authority in each year since 2010.

Mr Marcus Jones: Information on Adult Social Care and children’s social care by all local authorities in England are published each year on the Department’s website at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/local-authority-revenue-expenditure-and-financing

Urban Areas: Regeneration

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much has been spent on regeneration of town centres in England since 2010; and in which such towns.

Mr Marcus Jones: This Government is committed to supporting the regeneration of our town centres.We have confirmed the permanent doubling of Small Business Rate Relief, meaning that 600,000 small businesses now pay no business rates at all; we launched the High Street Pledge and a digital high street pilot scheme; and we are celebrating our high streets and town centres through the hugely successful Great British High Street Awards.Since 2010, we have given over £18 million to towns – funding and upskilling local teams of people through the Town Team Programme, boosting struggling town centres with the High Streets Innovation Fund and launching successful initiatives such as “Love Your Local Market”.Town centres have also benefited from funding that we have made available for local economic development, including the Coastal Communities Fund, which has invested over £132 million in 131 coastal projects across England since 2012. The Government has awarded £9.1 billion to Local Enterprise Partnerships in Growth Deals since 2014.The Government is committed to communities establishing Business Improvement Districts and the positive impact they have on their local areas, including town centres.We are working with Local Enterprise Partnerships to strengthen their role in town centres and coastal communities, and collaborating with the Local Government Association to assist local authorities in supporting their town centres.Further information on the town centres supported may be found at - https://www.gov.uk/government/policies/high-streets-and-town-centres

Supported Housing: Mental Illness

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, with reference to the funding supported housing consultation published on 31 October 2017, what funding settlement will be in place for mental health supported housing schemes which fall into neither short-term nor long-term categories and combine individuals with a variety of different lengths of stay.

Mr Marcus Jones: Everyone who is eligible to have their housing costs met under the current system, will continue to have their housing costs met through the models announced on 31 October, whether they are staying in short-term accommodation, long term accommodation or in transition between the two.We will continue to fund long-term supported accommodation through the welfare system, with 100 per cent of housing costs (rent and eligible service charges) normally being met (unless, exceptionally, other benefit restrictions may apply to the individual involved). This funding will be uncapped by Local Housing Allowance rates as these will no longer apply. For short-term accommodation all funding for rent and eligible service charges previously met from Housing Benefit will instead be allocated to local authorities through ring-fenced grants, to fund the commissioning of provision at a local level.This will fund housing costs for provision rather than specific individuals. An individual’s entitlement for help with housing costs whilst staying in accommodation funded under each of our supported housing models, including the short-term model, will be exactly as it would have been through Housing Benefit or the housing cost element of Universal Credit.Through our consultation, and otherwise, we will continue to engage with the sector and stakeholders to seek views on key system design elements of the reformed funding model to ensure it is responsive and will work for providers, tenants and clients, across such a diverse sector, including provision for those with mental ill health.

Department for Communities and Local Government: Brexit

Mr Jacob Rees-Mogg: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of his Department's preparations for the UK leaving the EU with (a) an agreement on future partnership and (b) no agreement with the EU; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Marcus Jones: Following the referendum in June 2016, My Department continues to make rigorous preparations for a range of possible outcomes from the UK's negotiations with the EU.

Private Rented Housing: Energy

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 6 October 2017 to Question 105187, on energy performance certificates, what estimate his Department has made of the number of private sector landlords compliant with the energy efficiency regulations on energy performance certificates.

Alok Sharma: I refer the Hon Member for Brighton Pavilion to the answer I gave today to Question 110744.

Aerials: Planning Permission

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what plans the Government has for further reform of planning regulations to support investment in infrastructure to improve mobile connectivity.

Alok Sharma: In November 2016, the Government delivered major mobile planning reforms in England in November 2016, which have made it easier for Mobile Network Operators to roll out mobile infrastructure more quickly and introduced new rights to build taller masts. In addition, the housing White Paper Fixing our Broken Housing Market, published earlier this year consulted on proposals to amend national planning policy so that local planning authorities are expected to have planning policies setting out how high quality digital infrastructure will be delivered in their area and be available from a range of providers.The Government is working closely with the industry to assess whether there are any further planning issues which can be overcome to improve mobile connectivity

Job Creation: Enterprise Zones

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 30 October 2017 to Question 108119, on job creation: enterprise zones, how many jobs enterprise zones were planned to create in each year since 2013.

Jake Berry: We do not collect data on forecast job numbers for Enterprise Zones and do not publish estimates for net additional jobs.Enterprise Zones are a twenty five year programme to support local economic growth, helping businesses to expand and ensure there is the high quality office and industrial space needed for them to do so. Local Enterprise Partnerships report that since 2012 and up to September 2016, Enterprise Zones had attracted over 822 businesses and more than £3.3 billion in private investment.

Northern Ireland Office

Food Banks: North Down

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will visit the Storehouse North Down food bank; and if he will make a statement.

James Brokenshire: I commend the work undertaken by foodbanks across the UK. I will certainly consider any formal invitation to visit the Storehouse North Down food bank that may be forthcoming. However, my primary focus at present is to continue working intensively with the Northern Ireland parties and the Irish Government to secure the restoration of inclusive, stable, devolved government in the interests of the entire community in Northern Ireland.

Northern Ireland Office: ICT

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether his Department holds a central list of the IT and digital assets of its arm's-length bodies.

Chloe Smith: This information is not held centrally as the management of IT and digital assets is an operational matter for individual arms-length bodies which operate independently from central government.

Department for International Trade

Department for International Trade: Labour Turnover

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what proportion of civil service posts in his Department was vacant for a week or longer since his Department was established; and what the turnover rate for civil servants in his Department has been in that period.

Greg Hands: The Department for International Trade (DIT) headcount has grown to more than 3,590, which includes an international network of more than 1,300 people. DIT headcount has grown by 43% since July 2016 (an increase of 1,087 from 2,504 to 3,591.The turnover rate for civil servants in DIT for the 12 month period from October 2016 to September 2017 was 11.8%.

Manufacturing Technologies Association

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what recent discussions he has had with the Manufacturing Technologies Association on (a) frictionless trade and (b) the ability to influence international standards after the UK leaves the EU.

Mark Garnier: Officials from the Department for International trade have met the Manufacturing Technologies Association to discuss a wide range of issues important to the manufacturing sector. This department regularly meets with stakeholders from all sectors to help shape a UK trade policy that works for all.

Agriculture: Overseas Trade

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what discussions he has had with representatives of the food and farming sectors on the development of new trade deals with other countries.

Greg Hands: The Department of International Trade’s (DIT) officials and I maintain close contact with the food and drink industry; and agriculture. The ministerial team have had a variety of very productive meetings with a range of industry representatives. In carrying out our engagement with the industry we cooperate closely with Defra and other government departments.

Department for International Trade: Nurseries

Tracy Brabin: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what childcare facilities his Department makes available for its staff; how much his Department spent (a) overall and (b) per child on those facilities in the last 12 months; and how many of his Department's staff use those facilities.

Greg Hands: Holding answer received on 09 November 2017



The Department for International Trade (DIT) does not administer its own childcare facilities but supports parents to make their own arrangements through a combination of vouchers, allowances and participation in shared schemes, depending on where in the UK, and globally, employees work.London based staff can make use of the Westminster Holiday Play Scheme organised by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. The Department does not have details on the number of individual staff members who use the scheme nor the overall cost; however we can confirm a cost of £35 per day/ per child of which the Department contributes £18.UK Export Finance staff based at 1 Horse Guards Road can access the HM Treasury “holiday clubs” which are totally funded by the employee.For DIT overseas staff, local arrangements are available within their overseas allowances.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Companies: Data Protection

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how many companies were notified of the data breach experienced by an accredited body for Cyber Essentials in June 2017 that resulted in its list of registered consultancies being stolen.

Matt Hancock: A configuration error from a supplier led to data containing 801 email addresses, usernames, company name, and IP addresses from 800 companies, including assessors of and applicants to the scheme, being exposed. There is no information to suggest it was extracted. No personal data was released. The scheme's certification bodies and all 801 email addresses were notified by email and were provided directly with advice and guidance. Cyber Essentials remains one of the best ways for organisations to test and show they have protected themselves against the most common cyber threats, including phishing and malware attacks. All firms which rely on the internet should aim to have a Cyber Essentials certificate to show they have met the minimum standards.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport: ICT

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department holds a central list of the IT and digital assets of its arm's-length bodies.

Matt Hancock: The information requested is not held centrally.

Treasure Act 1996

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what plans she has to review the effectiveness of the Treasure Act 1996.

John Glen: The Department is planning a public consultation on treasure policy, which will primarily focus on proposed revisions to the Treasure Act 1996 Code of Practice.

Youth Services

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of trends in the level of spending on youth services excluding spending on the National Citizen Service.

Tracey Crouch: Local authorities are responsible for allocating funding to youth services in line with local need. Section 251 data gathered by the Department for Education shows that between 2012/13 and 2015/16 total local authority spending on youth services has reduced by 36%. Local authority spending is only one part of the picture: many local authorities are creating new partnerships and models to respond to the changing funding landscape. Government has supported local authorities to adapt through the £700,000 Delivering Differently for Young People programme and is investing £80 million through the Youth Investment and #iwill Funds to increase opportunities for young people to develop skills and participate in their communities.

Young People

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she has taken to implement the Government's Positive for Youth policy on youth.

Tracey Crouch: The Government published a statement on the implementation of Positive for Youth in 2013. DCMS’ focus on youth policy builds on the legacy of Positive for Youth. This includes funding opportunities for young people to develop skills and participate in their communities and supporting the youth sector to develop its evidence base, sustainability and impact.

Young People

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, when she plans to publish the Government's updated youth policy.

Tracey Crouch: DCMS conducted a series of regional workshops in March and April 2017 with representatives from the youth sector, local authorities and young people to discuss current issues and opportunities for youth policy. The evidence gathered is being used by DCMS across its youth policy work.

House of Commons Commission

House of Commons: Zero Hours Contracts

Chris Stephens: To ask the right hon. Member for Carshalton and Wallington, representing the House of Commons Commission, how many and what proportion of (a) parliamentary and (b) contracted staff are employed on zero hours contracts; and if he will make a statement.

Tom Brake: No staff are employed by the House of Commons on zero hours contracts. The House of Commons Commission does not hold information about staff employed by its contractors. Our standard terms and conditions of contract do not specify that contractors are not to be employed on zero hours contracts.

Women and Equalities

Equality and Human Rights Commission: Advertising

Chris Stephens: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what plans she has to provide funding for the advertising of services provided by the Equalities and Human Rights Commission; and if she will make a statement.

Nick Gibb: The Equalities and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is allocated an overall annual budget, which is £19.3m in the current financial year. Funding for EHRC’s promotional activities is included within that budget. Decisions on allocation of resources within its overall budget are matters for the EHRC as an independent public body subject to Cabinet Office spending controls which apply to non Departmental public bodies.